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Shore Regional Graduates Are Making Exciting Marks on the World Holly Black née Riggenbach (ʻ90)
After finishing her BA in English at the College of New Jersey in 1994, Holly Riggenbach almost got a library science degree from Rutgers. That was before her first book tour interrupted her studies. After publication of her first novel, "Tithe" (2002), she went on to author the massively popular children's series The Spiderwick Chronicles with artist Tony DiTerlizzi. The series of books were adapted into a major motion picture released by Paramount Pictures in February 2008.1 Holly has also been a frequent contributor to anthologies and has written a collection of short fiction, Poison Eaters and Other Stories, published in 2010. Her most recent book White Cat, the first about capers, curse magic, and memory, arrived in stores in May of 2010. Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library! 2
Mary Gatta (ʻ94) Dr. Mary Gatta is the Director, Gender and Workforce Policy at the Center for Women, and on the faculty in the Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University. An expert in gender and public policy, low-wage workers, earnings inequality, and sex segregation studies, Dr. Gatta has published several books, articles, and policy papers. Praised by Congressmen such as Rush Holt (NJ) and George Miller (GA), 2005's Not Just Getting By: The New Era of Flexible Workforce Development chronicled groundbreaking thinking and research on workforce development initiatives that deliver skills training to single, working poor mothers via the Internet. In addition to numerous academic publications, Dr. Gatta was recently elected to a three-year Council term of the American Sociological Associationʼs Sociological Practice Section. 3
Jillian Giacchi (ʻ02) Jillian, a graduate of the Boston Conservatory (degree in musical theatre), has been traveling the world as a successful theatric performer. Since graduation, she's performed in Osaka, Japan, where she originated the leading role of "Elphaba" in the Japanese production of Stephen Schwartz's hit musical Wicked. Jillian performed in the Boston premiere of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party as well as productions of Carousel, The Wizard of Oz, Anything Goes, Grease, Hello Dolly, and State Fair. She's also performed off-broadway in New York City in productions such as "Idol: The Musical." 4 Currently performing with the blues/country/folk trio "Hudson Crossing," Jillian performed "God Bless America" this past August, during the nationally televised (ABC) "Izod Haskell Race" at Monmouth Park. 5
________________________________________________________________________________________ Sources: 1 - "Holly Black: Through the Maze." Locus Online. Locus Magazine, May, 2006. <http://www.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/05Black.html>. 2 - "About Holly: Biography." Holly Black. N.p., 2010. <http://www.blackholly.com/biography.html>. 3 - "Mary Gatta, PhD Professor and Director, Gender and Workforce Policy." Center for Women and Work. Rutgers University, 2010.<http://www.cww.rutgers.edu/Staff/Gatta_M.html>. 4 - "The Ensemble." Coastal Artists Ensemble. Coastal Artists, 2010. <http://www.coastalartists.org/ensemble.html>. 5 - Weber, Jonathan. "Around Monmouth Beach." The Link News 22 July 2010 [Long Branch, NJ] : 18.